Dear All,

I thought I would write a quick blog update before we head off for our wonderful Christmas family reunion in Niagara Falls. It is now only 5 more sleeps until we are all together.

We are all very excited and I dare say I will have trouble sleeping as the time draws closer! It is very much like the wonderful anticipation I used to experience as a child while waiting for the day, Santa would finally come! Only difference is of course, that once the anticipation was for the gifts, but now it is for having the family together once again. It is over 3 years since we have all been together, and it seems more like an eternity. Damien and Lauren will finally get to meet their new nephew who is now over a year old and Damien will get to meet Erin’s fiancée Chris. Lauren met him before she left the States.

As we are leaving on Saturday, 20th December (Lauren’s birthday), we will not be home to make our usual Christmas calls. I have not checked yet to see if the cost is feasible from our cell phones, but if it is, I will be calling my brothers and sisters in Australia at least.

Should an emergency or anything urgent arise, I will list our numbers for you.

Paul 815 355 0101
Kathy 815 355 0376
Erin 815 355 0790
Kelly 404 357 2225
Nate 404 324 7075

Below is the web address for where we are staying, if you can’t contact us, click on the web address and it will give you their phone numbers, fax, email etc.

http://www.niagarafallsgolf.com

All being well, we will be home late on New Year’s Day.

Paul is a little concerned at the packing I have done………………. Well I do have Christmas gifts for everyone, plus birthday gifts for Lauren, Kelly, Nate and Damien! Then of course, although we do have kitchen facilities, they do not have everything I need to cook and prepare the meals, so I have some pots, pans etc. I have herbs, spices, recipes and much, much more. I have also got turkey, ham, whole beef tender loin, whole pork tenderloin, not to mention the stacks of other stuff.

I have packed some clothes in vacuum sealed bags to allow more space as we will have much more room coming home. We still have to fit Erin and her luggage in the car as well. I have told Paul if it doesn’t fit, we will just have to throw his wheelchair out and teach him to walk!!!!!

We are anticipating that going through customs will be an ordeal not only for us, but for them as well…………. A lot of stuff has been packed in clear plastic containers so they can see it without unpacking it, but of course, they may choose to unpack it anyway! Christmas gifts are mostly in gift bags, just covered with tissue paper, so they too, are easily accessible and maybe it will only take them an hour or so to check us out!!!

We have been quite busy as usual since I last wrote. We have been enjoying our usual Saturday morning breakfasts with our dear friends, most of whom have now left for warmer climates.

Heidi and Tom are leaving this week, just leaving Carol and Henry here until they leave just after Christmas. We therefore had our last breakfast on Saturday (well, I guess Paul and I will still eat breakfast), until they all return in the Spring.

We had a great night out the other night for John's birthday... His birthday is 21st December and we won't be here, so we went to Sam's Joint, where I always enjoy the most succulent ribs and the best shrimp scampi ever!

On Sunday we went to brunch at the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute and what a feast it was. (Good training for Christmas fare, not that I need it). We went with our neighbours Larry and Jan who are members and it sure didn't take much enticement for us to apply for membership as well. It will be on one of our places to go in the future whenever we have Aussie or Chicago guests. They have their brunches monthly and they also have nature works, they feature the works of local artists and photographers and provide lots of classes and workshops throughout the year.

We had a wonderful time, the food was great and abundant and the company was also great. Thanks Larry and Jan!!!

Last blog, I mentioned that the Kalamazoo Gazette was possibly going to run an article on Lauren's Immigration issues. Well they did do it. Unfortunately tho, it was a bit inaccurate as they quoted me as saying that Lauren was possibly banned for at least a year! I wish! They ban is either 3 or 10 years and despite promises from Immigration, they still have not told us.

We did have a huge hurdle last week, as after reading the fine print on her email ticket, Lauren read that as her plane was landing in Chicago first on its way to Canada, she had to have a Visa to change planes. Well of course, being banned, this was impossible. A call to the airlines to have her put on a direct flight was useless as American Airlines do not do direct flights. After requesting a refund, she was advised as it was an E Ticket there was no refund!!!! I think it is possible she will get back around 150 pounds of the 600 plus she had spent. She of course was devastated!

There was no other option, but to lose the money and to rebook with another airline. There was no way she couldn't be there for Christmas. It was an expensive lesson for us all to learn. I knew she had to change planes, but as she was not leaving the airport and had a through ticket, I never thought about the Immigration issues and neither did she!

I wish Immigration was aware or cared about the impact that their mistake and lack of efficiency has caused this family.

The weather here is freezing cold and we have had a lot of snow already for the year. It is absolutely beautiful, but keep your fingers crossed that the roads are clear, the airports are clear and all cars and planes can travel safely and on time! It is hard not to worry about a foot of snow falling in Toronto or Buffalo when the various kids fly in, or for the snow to cause white-out conditions when we are trying to drive there.

Paul managed to get a deer for the freezer again this year - I am glad of that as he loves the meat and it is very lean meat. I am not keen on it, so he doesnt have to share it.

Our neighbour Larry was also generous enough to donate the second deer he got to a family we know who can really do with the meat to help them and their kids through a very rough time.

For those of you who find this sad, come up and visit us and see the many dead deer on the sides of the road. When you see them, you have to realise that if they were hit by a car, the chances are that people were injured, some very seriously and others killed, because of the over abundance of deer in this area. Some do not make it through the winter because of their large numbers and lack of food. For those who are hunted and killed by responsible hunters such as Paul, John and Larry (and many others), their death is swift and pain free.

Well folks, I will say good bye and wish you all a wonderful Christmas filled with the sounds of laughter from loved ones. I wish you all many blessings that this season can bring, I wish you all good health and love for 2009.

Below of course, are a few photos of our darling grandson and the article from the newspaper for anyone interested.

Paul and Kathy

Immigration red tape keeps Delton woman from seeing her family
Monday, December 08, 2008
Kalamazoo
BY JENNIFER WEZENSKY

Special to Hometown Gazette
DELTON -- Paul and Kathy Dydalowicz built a huge home in Delton, expecting Kathy's kids to immigrate from Australia to live in the U.S. Instead, it is just the two of them in the home while two of her kids are tied up in immigration red tape that has fractured the tight-knit family.
Kathy is a native of Australia who moved to the U.S. in July 2001 with her 16-year-old daughter Erin after meeting Paul on the Internet. They married that year.
At that time, her daughter Lauren McGoldrick was still in college and decided to remain in Australia to finish the first year of her undergraduate degree. Lauren then joined the family in the U.S. in May 2002. All the necessary paperwork was filed for Lauren, who was 19 at the time. Because of a backlog in the Chicago office, Lauren's paperwork was not processed until after she had turned 21. The U.S. Immigration office told the family that Lauren was protected by the Child Protection Act, but this proved not to be the case. Her application for permanent residence was denied as she had ``aged out'' by turning 21 and was no longer considered to be a dependent child. An appeal lodged by an immigration attorney on behalf of the family also was denied.
On top of that, as the family worked with an attorney and Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers' office to determine the next step, they learned that Lauren was unknowingly living here illegally while working on her master's degree at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. As a result, she is banned from entering the U.S. for at least a year, Kathy said.
``They all agreed that it was unjust and it was wrong,'' she said. ``Now our family is split up. We don't know how to get an answer. We've spent thousands on attorney fees, and to no avail.''
To make matters worse, Kathy's son Damien McGoldrick, 32, unknowingly overstayed his visa by two days in 2004 while in the U.S. to visit his sister Kelly in Atlanta. Kelly, 33, immigrated in 2000 for her job and then married an American.
Now Damien is barred from entering the country without going through a lengthy interview process at the U.S. Embassy. Five years ago, he applied for permanent residence in the U.S. but that has not yet been granted.
The family is convening in Canada over Christmas, the first time they all will be together in more than three years. The gathering is even more significant because Paul is terminally ill. Kelly McGoldrick-Lee, Kathy's oldest daughter, is in remission from stage IV melanoma. Kathy's daughter Erin, now age 23 and who moved to the U.S. with her mother, is now engaged to an American.
Because their father is Irish, Damien and Lauren have United Kingdom citizenship, and that is where they now live. And it is closer and less expensive for Kathy to visit than Australia.
They are distraught about the situation, worried that their sister could fall ill again or that Paul's condition will worsen. Lauren's dream of being in her sister's wedding next spring is growing dim.
``We did everything right, having faith in the system,'' Kathy said. ``It has failed us. We're a family torn apart.''
Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center for the American Immigration Law Foundation in Washington, D.C., said that Kathy's children are ``caught in the crosshairs'' of tough immigration laws passed in 1996. Then in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, immigrating became even more difficult, she said.
``You can see this fracturing a family,'' Kelley said. ``That makes it very complicated. There are long-standing provisions in the law that makes family reunification very difficult.''
Kelley said that the immigration law is driven by security policies as well as the desire to reduce illegal immigrants.
``Forty percent of the 12 million people here illegally came legally on temporary visas,'' she said.

Kyler playing with Doug and Cherie's (other grandparents) dog!!!

Kyler waking up!

I guess Santa can be a bit scary!

All rugged up for winter - warm, but can't move.

Going in for first hair cut.

Sitting like a grown-up!

Dear all,

As usual, I am a little bit late with my 'monthly' blog!!! But I guess it is better late than never.

The problem with being late, it is difficult to remember what we have been up to. I have trouble even remembering what I had for breakfast this morning.

I do know we have had lots of weekend guests since I last wrote and we have had lots of fun.

We did have one weekend planned "a deck staining weekend", which never happened as planned. Sid and Mary, Danny, Cathy and their 3 teenage daughters, Rita and Tom, Kenny, Lisa and Deeny were all coming, but it was not to be.

Mary's sister-in-law passed away and Mary developed an allergy, Cathy broke her ankle and one of the girls fell and had to have her leg stitched and Kenny was having contractors in and Tom's father was sick. As the weather was perfect Paul and I decided to tackle the job on our own as we were all prepped and ready to go. We began on the Friday and were finished by the Sunday. We were pleased with the results and will give it another coat next year.

Since then Sid and Mary have been up for the weekend as was Rita and Tom and Judy and Dan. It too proved to be a wonderful weekend weather wise and we had a great time. We even managed to get out on the boat.

When Sid and Mary were here we took a ride to the Elk Farm. It is not open to the public, but in our ignorance (haha), we drove in and the people who own it are lovely. They allowed us to drive around and view this huge animals up close. We got some great pictures and if I get them downloaded I will add a couple.

Chris and Erin and Rita and Tom were up again this weekend. Erin arrived on the Thursday, so we we went out to dinner that night with John and Alex. Rita and Tom arrived Friday, so the men did boring stuff and we girls hit the shops. We all managed to get a bit of Christmas shopping done.

Last weekend, we had a happy Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year get together here as many of our friends are heading off to warmer climates for the winter. We had a great dinner party for 17. Everyone brings a plate and we always manage to have a great meal and lots of laughs. Charlie and Connie were the first to leave as they headed to Texas on Friday.

Over the next few weeks our Saturday breakfast club will dwindle as they depart to Florida, Texas and Arizona leaving Paul and I behind to face the winter alone!

When we have weekend guests, we usually have a big breakfast on the Sunday before everyone leaves - our friends John and Alex usually join us as well and last Sunday was no exception. John and Alex came over early so John could prepare his speciality contribution of biscuits and sausage gravy. That along with a sausage strata, bacon, pancakes, fruit and cream added a few thousand calories to my day!!!

This past month one of our friends (we met thru John and Alex), was tragically killed on his motor cycle by a drunked driver. Chris was an under cover cop working in the drug area. He was only 43, and left behind his lovely wife Carrie and five great kids. He was a very popular guy and those of you who come to our New Year's Eve parties will remember him with a long beard giving him the appearance of a biker. The beard was grown as part of his under cover work.

Chris' funeral was huge and his footprint here was such that his funeral was televised so that all who knew him could be part of his huge farewell.

Our friend Jerry (John's brother), also passed away. John called in to visit him and found him dead on the floor only a few days after his 56th birthday. Jerry became a part of our lives through John and Alex and Paul and I grew to love him very quickly. He had only recently relocated here from Pennsyliva and then into his own apartment in Richland a couple of months ago. It has been a very tragic time for John and Alex as they were very close to Chris and his family and Jerry died only a couple of days after that.

On the 2nd of November our house was featured in the Kalamazoo Gazette. We were very pleased with the article and I will enclose a link for anyone interested. Actually, I will enclose two links and one does not show all the photos published.
http://blog.mlive.com/kalamazoo_gazette_extra/2008/11/living_the_dream_accessibility.html


http://photos.mlive.com/kalamazoogazette

The Gazette is also thinking of doing an article on Lauren's Immigration story. I am doubtful tho, that it will do any good even if published.

Wedding plans are coming along nicely for Erin and Chris. Lauren is doing well and has just been off doing a 3 day course for work which she really enjoyed. Damien has recently moved apartments, and work has slowed down considerably for him thanks to the economy. Kelly, Nate and Kyler are all well, but the economy is also having an effect of them.

Nate recently started a new job in the same industry and so far he likes it. Kelly's company has been going through a tough time because of the effect of the economy on the housing industry. Her company is one that has managed to stay afloat whilst many others have gone under and she is hopeful that they will ride it out successfully as it is a great company with a quality product.

Kyler turned 1 on the 1st of October. He is a beautiful boy and to prove it, I am putting some photos at the end of the blog!!!!! He had a birthday party and his other grandparents were there with aunties and uncles to help him celebrate. Paul was not feeling great at the time, so I decided to stay with him and accompany him to medical appointments that he had.

Paul is doing okay. He has passed his expiration date. He was given two years to live and that time was up in September!!!! As usual he is proving to be the exception to the rule. His determination keeps him going. As I write he is out hunting!!! Obviously, he has good days and bad days, but it doing far better than the doctors expected.

It is now only 40 sleeps til we are all together for Christmas in Canada and I can't wait. I am very excited as I miss my kids and don't get to see nearly enough of them. It will be great fun.

I could 'waffle on' for hours, but will say goodbye for now.

Love to everyone.


Kyler sitting at his new table - an early Christmas gift from us.

Kyler attending his first friend's birthday party.

Our little kangaroo at Halloween

Kyler with his birthday cake.

Our beautiful boy.

Kyler loves pizza - just like his daddy.

JUST ANOTHER BORING BLOG UPDATE

Dear Everyone,



Summer is fast disappearing and Fall is upon us! I love the various seasons, but am not yet ready for Fall or Winter. My "to do list" is still enormous and much on the list, requires, warm sunny days.



Last year I nearly killed myself stripping furniture in an unventilated room as it was freezing outside and I could not bare to open the doors. Consequently, all furniture projects must be completed whilst still warm. I am also endeavouring to get the garden in order before the snow falls - I have spent hours outside working but can hardly see where I have been.



Much of what has happened since last writing is fairly mundane, but if I don't write about it, I have little else! Sad eh?



Alex and I did manage to get in another 'girl's day out'. We began our day with haircuts and then set forth to help out the sagging American economy by shopping!!! Alas, our purchases were very minor indeed, nothing that would set the stock markets into motion. Shopping burns millions of calories, so of course we treated ourselves to a long, leisurely lunch, before heading back to Alex's house in an effort to make decorating decisions. Can't really remember if we achieved anything, but it was a very enjoyable day and I did manage to make it home, with Alex in tow, to meet our husbands in time to have dinner out altogether. (We could hardly be expected to cook after such an exhausting day!)



Erin finished her summer courses and had a little bit of time off before the next semester, so she came to stay for almost a week. We had a great time and managed to secure a photographer, and dj for the wedding. We spent lots of time meeting with prospective photographers, videographers and DJs so it was not only fun, but productive as well.



Our annual "Sunfish meeting" (a meeting of all landowners who use the private road called Sunfish), proved to be a lot of fun with very few matters which needed discussing. It was held at our neighbours house, where they provided a barbeque with the rest of us bringing plates to pass. We are very lucky that we like all our neighbours.



After the meeting a couple who currently reside in Chicago, but own an undeveloped parcel of land, came to visit. They stayed until almost midnight chatting, after which Paul and I fell into bed exhausted after a long but enjoyable day.



In the last Blog I mentioned that Paul had a toothache, so poor guy had to see a dentist and have his tooth removed. Because he is on blood thinners, he had to wait almost a week and have his levels tested before they would remove it (along with a couple of wisdom teeth). By the time he had the tooth removed, he would have been happy to allow them to decapitate him!!!! Nothing is ever simple for Paul.



Lauren has now started her new position as Forensic examiner and is very happy in her new role. For those of you who are interested, I am putting in a web address which directs you to an article about a British Ship where several of the crew were "busted" for using drugs. Lauren was the one who performed the tests on these guys.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1050163/18-sailors-test-positive-cocaine-Royal-Navy-destroyer-used-catch-drug-smugglers.html



On the 27th of August, Lauren went for her interview with the American Embassy, seeking permission to visit us for Christmas. Unfortunately, they would not give her permission, although they were sympathetic about which she has been through. They said they would check her file and advise her within 60 days whether she is banned for 3 or 10 years!!!!! They said she should have been processed before she turned 21 and that she should have received a letter advising when she should leave America. She got neither, but oh well - she has to pay the price.



We were all dreadfully upset but have now accepted the situation as there is nothing else we can do. We are determined however to be together for Christmas and we are currently planning our Christmas in Niagara Falls. I have been there in the Summer and was awestruck by its wonderous beauty and I promised myself (Paul did too), that we would make the trip one year and see it in Winter. It was Paul's suggestion to go there and the kids are all excited as none of them have seen it yet.



It has taken awhile, but I have managed to find a house to rent that will accommodate all of us. It actually sleeps 20! It is handicap accessible for Paul and is close to the Falls, casinos, restaurants, shopping etc. It is actually the Niagara Falls Golf Club, which we don't expect to be open for golf at Christmas. The weather is our only concern - we do not want any snow storms when we are driving or when kids are supposed to fly in. Damien, Jessica and Lauren will fly into Toronto ( 1 1/2 hours away), Kelly, Nate and Chris will fly into Buffalo New York (40 mins away). Paul, Erin and I will drive ( 6 1/2 hours). Erin will come with us, as we intend to be there from 20th Dec. to 1st Jan. and Chris will only be able to join us from 23 - 28. The others will all stay from 20 - 1st. Damien and Jessica hope to be able to drive back to Michigan with us and stay for a few days before flying back to London.



There is much to plan, but I expect it will be a wonderful, wonderful Christmas with many happy memories to take away with us.

A couple of weeks ago, we eventually had the pleasure of the company of Srs. Lucille, Sr. Sandi and their Aussie mate Angela for the weekend. The reason I say 'eventually' was because, they arrived much, much later than expected. It seems they set out from Chicago in a timely manner, with Sr. Sandi driving and Sr. Lucille as navigator. Dear sainted Angela rode in the back seat to enjoy the ride and the entertainment!

They were well prepared for the journey with snack food (thank God for that!), rosary beads and Map Quest. As we were expecting them for the evening meal, we did ask that they call when they were about 1/2 hour from the house. Finally the call came in, so I started the dinner rolling (silly, silly, me).

It is good to know that God does not play favourites, because despite Map Quest and prayers, they got hopelessly lost! They called for directions from Paul, but alas at this point he was not much help as they could not identify where they were - a country road with no buildings for identification, no street signs, was not sufficient information for Paul to guide them out.

Being female, they did stop to ask for directions at a farmhouse that appeared to have someone home as evidenced by open garage doors, lights on etc. but no-one answered their calls (or were they pleas of desperation)??? I pictured a farmer hiding behind a door thinking to himself "I don't want to be saved right now by a couple of nuns - gosh darn it, it is supper time"!!!!

They set off while connected to Paul on the phone and finally were able to give him enough information for him to guide them home!! It seems that someone whom I will not identify by name, (picture Sr. Sandi driving and the dear sainted Angela in the back)had inadvertently picked up a page of Map Quest directions from a previous trip some hours away from here and the elusive "Cooper Street" they were seeking was nowhere in the vicinity!

Oh well, all is well that ends well and with the patient, helpful, non-judging guidance (as if) from Paul they arrived tired and hungry at their intended destination and were rewarded with a wholesome, overcooked dinner for their efforts!

They did ask that I not mention it to anyone, but hey! I never claimed to be an angel, and it was good fodder for a boring blog. Anyway, I believe that Nuns like to practice humility and I would never deprive them of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This little episode set the scene for a wonderful weekend - we laughed from the time they arrived until they left. Angela was great company and it was a real treat for me to sit and chat with a fellow Aussie - and someone who could understand me without constant repitition!!! It did make me a little homesick just the same.

On the Saturday, Lucky and Nancy arrived as well, so we all had lunch and then a nice boat ride around the lake. The weather was perfect. The lost trio headed off to Mass that evening, only after we may them recite after us, the directions there and back (only 3 turns mind you). Whilst they were at Mass, Lucky and Nancy headed back to Chicago, not waiting to say goodbye to the others as they figured they would stay for awhile after Mass and pray for a safe trip back the next day!!!

Last weekend, Erin, Chris and Chris' parents (Erin's future in-laws) joined us for the weekend! Straightforward trip for them - guess they read the right pages of Map Quest.

Well what can I say about their visit - poor bloody Erin and Chris!!!!!!!!

Only joking, I had to put that in in case they read this!!! We had a great weekend with them - we all got along very well and had lots of fun. The Marriage Celebrant came to the house on Saturday and so we now have another wedding detail finalised. We then went to check out Brook Lodge where both the wedding and the rehearsal dinner will be held. Both Maura and Jim loved the site, so that was good.

The mandatory boat ride around the lake was next, followed by dinner and a very unusual display by the 'in-laws". I do not tell a lie, but at one point, Maura laid herself down on the floor just inside our front door, doing all sorts of unusual poses (very odd behaviour don't you think?). It was not long after that that Jim decided to try the floor as well and he appeared to be preparing himself for a sleep. Unusual performances by both of them.......

Oh did I mention we were playing a game called Cranium? Guess I should - it is only fair, even though it does spoil a good story. Maura it seems was a mermaid at the time, and Jim was acting out a water bed, hence the gyrations that could have been well a bit on the blue side if one didn't know it was a game. They were great sports and losers at the game. As were we - I think Erin and Chris won.

Kelly had to go for her check up last week and to our great relief, she passed with flying colours! She now moves on to 6 monthly check ups as it will soon be 5 years since diagnose.

Kyler is walking everywhere now. He took his first steps just before the 10 month mark, but has now mastered it and does very well. He just gets cuter by the day, although I never thought that could be possible.

Damien and Jessica are well, and are getting excited about coming to Canada and hopefully the US before too long. The time will pass quickly for them as they are moving apartments next month.

We recently dragged ourselves out of bed at the crack of dawn to go for an early morning boatride. It was my suggestion which I deeply regretted when the alarm went off. Larry and Jan our neighbours joined us, and they are like Paul - bright and chirpy in the morning!!! I just like to have coffee and stare and grunt for awhile, so they talked to each other til I could function. It did turn out to be a good idea though as it was beautiful on the lake early in the morning and even better because Jan cooked a yummy breakfast for us all afterwards!!!! When the alarm went off, I vowed never to do it again, however, after the ride and breakfast, I changed my mind!! It goes on my "gonna do again" calendar.

On Sunday night, around 11.30 pm when we were getting ready for bed after a very full weekend, I let Mack outside to "empty". He was back very quickly, followed by a very familar odour!!!! He had been skunked again. I really wanted to cry, throw-up, scream but experience has taught me to act quickly.

Paul took him upstairs while I grabbed the Dawn, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (thanks Danny and Sid) and I jumped into the shower with him. Whilst I showered him - for ages and ages, Paul lit every scented candle in the house.

We managed to get rid of some of the smell and after washing everything - shower curtains, towels, bath mats etc. the smell inside the house is now okay. However, the elevator still stinks as does Mack particularly now that it is raining as when he gets wet, the smell is more evident.

He is headed for another shower tonight - lucky, lucky me. Skunks show me that God has a sense of humour - because they are so pretty to look at and the stink is like no other smell! Paul has my permission to blast any skunk he sees from here to Kingdom come in the future. I don't care any more how pretty they look!!!!

Well folks, as usual, I have rambled on and on. I have included pictures as usual at the end for those of you who are interested.

Love to everyone, Kathy




Kelly's girls' day/night out with two of her special friends - Kim and Joanne.






It seems they had a really great time.



My darling, cheeky grandson.

Toys are more interesting from this height!

Ok - I will look at you, but I am busy you know.


Walking is exhausting, time for sleep with teddy.

Chris in training for marriage!

In the dog house.

Paul and Jim on the ATV

Mack with his favourite teddy!
Toohey after a romp in the woods.

It took four of us an hour to brush him out

Maura and Paul on the ATV

Chris and Erin's engagement photo

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE JUNE AND JULY!!

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE JUNE AND JULY!!!!

Well Folks,

I know this email – blog update is a bit overdue (thanks largely to the emails asking if we were still alive???).

Life has been rather hectic and time just flew by – along with my memory. Although I know I have been busy, I can’t remember everything I did!!!!

Sometime in June, I headed off to Pennsylvania with Alex. We left on a Thursday and came back on the Sunday. Alex had been going to Pennsylvania on a very frequent basis to pack up and stage a house in preparation for it’s sale. I had promised to go and we were finally able to co-ordinate dates.

Unfortunately, Paul had been feeling unwell and was troubled with leg and back pain, and despite my frequent urgings, would not allow me to take him to the doctor or the ER. On the morning of our departure, he still did not feel good, but said it was just leg pain and that I should go. Taking him at his word, we set off, planning to pack up the kitchen of the house and hold a garage sale on the Friday and Saturday.

We were only gone a short time when Paul called to say, that he was heading to the hospital for an ultra sound. Evidently, the doctor’s office had called to remind him of his appointment the next day. Paul told them to cancel the appointment as his legs were too painful for him to visit the doctor. Thankfully, the doctor sent him for an ultra sound to check him out for blood clots.

Well he did not have blood clots, because his blood was way too thin and he was bleeding around his muscles – hence the pain. They admitted him to hospital and as he stated it was not life threatening and we were by then 6 hours into our trip, he insisted with continue on and complete our mission.

Erin and Chris however, decided that he should have some family support, so they came and stayed and visited with him. They finally got his blood situation under control and he was released on Sunday, just a couple of hours before Alex and I returned. Alex’s husband John came over and cooked dinner and so we all had a nice reunion here at the house. Although it did cause a lot of concern, and it was awful being so far away, I could not have asked for a better “baby sitter” for Paul.

After his release from the hospital, Paul has had home nursing and home physiotherapy which only stopped last week. Unfortunately for Paul, each time he is in hospital, he seems to have something which affects his muscles, leaving him weaker and making it more difficult to take the few steps he can usually manage. (Note - the house in Pennsylvania - has been sold and paid for, so I guess Alex knew what she was doing).

Erin and Chris also came back the following weekend to visit with Paul and to catch up with me as I had not seen them in awhile. They are now the proud parents of an Australian Shepard as well. They have named him “Toohey” after an Aussie beer that Erin likes. He is very cute and very smart. He also gets along very well with Mack (his uncle???)

(Let me in - its only mud!

)
Our 4th of July was a wonderful, wonderful time. Kelly and Nate and Kyler arrived on the Wednesday night, but oh what a drama that was!!!!!

Their plane was due to land in Grand Rapids approximately 45 mins. From here at around 5 pm. Paul and I set off to the airport to get them (he was not supposed to be driving yet, but thank God he did not listen to me, when I insisted I drive and he stay home and rest?!!!

There were warnings of the possibility of a very severe thunderstorm and possible tornados! Now we were not worried about tornados as they are very rare in this neck of the woods, and we were hopeful of picking them up before the storm and missing it entirely!!!

This was not the case however, as whilst driving, the sky darkened in a matter of minutes and then turned to the eeriest, pukiest (not a word I know), shade of green, I have ever seen. After that the sky above us opened and we were caught in gale force winds and torrential rain with zero visibility. The winds were so strong that the trees lining the road were bending over and their branches were almost skimming the roof the car. It was unsafe to pull over as we were on country roads that had no shoulder and we wanted to be away from the trees!!!

To say I was scared would be a huge understatement. Being an Aussie with convict and pioneer blood surging through my veins, I did however remain calm for all of 5 minutes until I realized that Kelly, Nate and Kyler were possibly in the sky above us. It was at that point that I stopped praying (how silly), and started to cry instead!!!!

My poor Paul was concentrating on the hazardous road and trying to calm me as well. He assured me that their plane should have touched down by now and that if it hadn’t they would be flying well above the storm. I tried hard to believe him, but I also know that he would have said anything to make me feel better!!!!!

Eventually we did arrive safely at the airport despite the persistent torrential rain. I jumped out of the car and the security guard told me no planes were landing and that the airport was closed. I rushed inside to see if they had arrived before the storm broke, but alas they had not.

Delta staff informed me that it was circling above us and that it would land eventually. This was not to be the end of the drama however. Erin too was in transit and I phoned her to update her on what was happening and to advise her that she may be driving into the storm and at the first appearance of dark clouds to pull over and not wait for rain!!!

Chris (her fiancée), was still at work as he was driving up the next day, so he checked on Kelly’s plane on the internet and advised us that it had been rerouted to South Bend Indiana!. Erin was only ½ an hour from there and was going to turn back and pick them up. We decided against this as it was unlikely that they would be able to leave the plane.

Once landed in Indiana Kelly phoned me and said the pilot had left the plane to find out what was happening and she would let us know. (They were not allowed off the plane). We were able to tell her her take-off time and expected arrived back in Grand Rapids. We thought the bloody pilot should check the internet as the Delta staff in Grand Rapids still didn’t know where the plane was!!!!

Approximately 45 mins. Later she phoned again to say that the plane was broken and they had to get off!!! Fortunately they fixed it rather quickly, and then they had to refuel before take off. They finally arrived back in Grand Rapids where Paul and I were watching the storm dump over 3 inches of rain, approx. 4 ½ hours late.

Meanwhile Erin too got caught in the storm, (she should listen to me), she missed her turn due to poor visibility and was lost for a short time. Thank God for her GPS. She managed to dodge fallen trees, flooded roads and make it safely to our house before us. She was then asked to prepare dinner for us all!!!!!

Chris arrived the next day and we went and checked out the wedding venue, enabling us to finally make a decision. We went to Red Lobster for dinner – a belated Father’s Day Gift for Paul.

On the 4th July, we were joined by John and Alex and Jerry and we went in the Crooked Lake boat parade. There were 23 or more boats, fully decorated for the occasion. We enjoyed drinks and nibbles on the lake and had a wonderful time. The entire shoreline was lined with well wishers and party-goers, making it a very festive time.

After the parade we came back here for lunch where we were joined by a couple of other people and we partied until well into the night. It was a wonderful day.

Kyler was an absolute joy – he beams and claps hands with excitement most of the day – he kept us fully entertained. He loves the water, so he had a splash at the lake and a nice swim in our pool. We were lucky to be given a crib/cot and high chair (thanks Rita), so he was nicely catered for.

Unfortunately, Chris and Erin, Kelly, Nate and Kyler all went home on the Sunday morning. Chris and Erin had a smooth trip home, but Kelly and crew once again had more drama.

Their flight was unable to land in Atlanta, as they had a bad storm!!!!! They were diverted elsewhere (can’t remember where), and arrived home about 4 hours late again. She stated that “hell will freeze over” before she flies again, but I am hoping it is like child birth pain and the memory will soon be forgotten!!!!

The weekend after the 4th, we went to Chicago for Paul’s annual family picnic. We set off early Saturday morning and soon into our drive, we once again hit torrential rain (just call us if you are in a drought!). We contemplated turning around, but as we had just purchased dozens of doughnut from Sweetwaters, we thought they should reach their intended destination.

A phone call to Mary told us that the storm was in Chicago as well, but we pressed on, thinking we would do house visits instead! After all, we are experienced “storm drivers” now.

Our trip was justified once I discovered that “Filene’s Basement” had a store in Oakland. Paul stopped and let me run in for a quick look!!!! It is my favourite store in Chicago and Atlanta and I would drive though any storm to check it out (or at least let Paul drive me).

After a too quick trip there, we decided to head to the picnic grounds to say hi to Sid, as at this point we thought the picnic was washed out and we had made arrangements to meet with Rita and family at her son’s house.

To our amazement, there was a lovely gathering of people, the rain had stopped and the sun was shining (although forecasts stated it would soon be back). We stayed for around 4 hours, during which time the numbers swelled, the weather was perfect and we caught up with some much missed family.

Sid and his kids arrange the picnic each year and do a wonderful job. I believe some of them read this blog, so a very special thank you to you all - your efforts are very much appreciated and we really enjoying coming each year.

We then went to meet with Rita and crew where we also caught up with Srs. Lucille and Sandi. We had a lovely time and then left to drive to Aurora (or somewhere), to say hi to Vickie and John and to check out their new house. It was great to meet their new puppy who is around 100lbs (Newfoundland), check out their beautiful home and to catch up with them, even if it was only for a short time.

We then headed back to Michigan, stopping in Michigan City for the night. On Sunday morning we head to the Four Winds Casino and made a donation (reluctantly). I did lose $50, but played with it for hours before the machines gobbled it up. We had an awesome meal and then headed to John and Alex's to pick Mack up!!!

We arrived home around 11pm – exhausted, but happy – it was a wonderful weekend.

That following night was Alex’s birthday, so we had a small birthday dinner here. Just Paul and I, John, Jerry, Brandon and Emily and the birthday girl of course. It was a lovely evening and a good excuse for a get to-gether. (not that we need them).

A couple of weeks after that Rita, Tom, Jim, Ramona, Michael, Nicholas, Erica, Tony, Jenna and Joey came for a visit. They arrived on the Saturday evening and Rita and Tom stayed on til Tuesday with the others leaving on the Sunday afternoon.

We enjoyed a boat ride, swim in the pool, dinner out on Monday night, and conversation catch-ups. It was lots of fun and they are all enjoyable company. I have photos below of the ‘gremlins’ in the pool and on the golf cart.

Last week, two of Paul’s friends, Eddie and Dee, came to visit – they only stayed Tues/Wed., so it was a short trip, but it was nice to catch up with them as well.

August, will also be gone in a flash – we are expecting visits from Erin, Sid, Mary and Danny, Srs. Lucille/Sandi and an Aussie mate, and Lucky, Nancy, Phil, Ryan and Mary-Rose. We also have our annual Sunfish Drive meeting and picnic luncheon and a Pizza party at Charlie and Connie’s, so it promises to be a fun month!!!!

Apart from our visitors which always proves to be fun, we are taking the time to enjoy the summer and do a bit of gardening and boat rides.

Paul is doing okay, but is a bit miserable at the moment with a toothache (why do they always come on weekends?). Hopefully, we can get an appointment tomorrow and bring him some relief. Since being released, his blood levels have been inconsistent, and he has a doctors appointment tomorrow, as the doctor wants to discuss his most recent results, so we are worried that kidney, liver or diabetes results may be out of whack.

Kelly, Nate and Kyler and all well. Kelly did get her new Mercedes in June and Kyler has taken his first steps. He is not walking everywhere yet, but he takes steps and falls down and gets up and does it again.

Chris and Erin and also well and happy. Chris is soon to start a new job. He was dissatisfied in his old job and is looking forward to his new one starting. He is leaving marketing for web design (at least I think he is)!!!

Lauren is well and happy – she went and saw Kylie Minogue in concert last night. She has her interview with the American Embassy on 27th August in an attempt to get permission to visit us for Christmas – so lots of prayers please. She starts her job in the lab in 2 weeks.

Damien and Jessica are also well, although I haven’t spoken to him recently. I have tried, but for some reason, have been unable to get through. He has had a friend from Australia visiting, working hard and he too has an appointment with the Embassy, but not til October.

Well folks, I have rambled on as usual so will say goodbye for now. However, as I have been a bit slack on individual emails recently I want to add a couple of messages.

Chris - great newsy email - thanks - as you can see, I was being slack. America is a nice place to visit!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul & Heather - we were sad you couldn't make it - start saving.

Edda- am waiting for Bali news.

Wilko - time for a long, newsy email.

Rhonda - you have a life - write about it. lol

Paul & Dot - what is happening in your family.

Pat and Joan - I hope all is well. Please print this out for Dennis.

Kyler with his American cousin

The "My Mom is Hot" t-shirt

was bought by his other Grandma.

She is right - both of these guys

have 'hot moms'

The gremlins enjoying a ride in the golf cart

Mack says - can I get in the hot tub?

Kyler sleeping with his teddy

My Happy little darling.

Off to Mass with Daddy & Mummy

An angel eating!


The sandhill cranes from the back deck


Happy at play

Chris enjoying the ride

John - don't do it.

Alex is a prize!


Just more adorable shots.

I should have kept him.

Kelly and Nate

Mack - relaxing in the sun

The boat

WRECKS, WEDDINGS & WANDERINGS

Dear All,

It was the best of times..............it was the worst of times........ (sums up May so far!!)

Sometimes when I sit here to write, it seems I have nothing much to say and other times, I could ramble for eons!

May began with a bang...........literally............Kelly was in a nasty car accident. Unfortunately, whilst on the road for work, she collided with a ford truck of some description, which consequently rolled 7 times!!!! Although she was going slowly, the truck was not..... Fortunately, although her lovely new mercedes was written off, the air bag deployed saving her from possible serious injuries. The driver of the truck was trapped in his vehicle for some time, which added to the trauma for Kelly. It seems both Kelly and the other driver suffered similar injuries. Neither were seriously hurt, but both sustained a lot of muscle trauma and as a result Kelly has been suffering from headache, backache and muscle pain for almost a month now. It has begun to subside somewhat, but is still with her.

She has been commuting to work in a hired car whilst insurance gets it act together and hopefully, she will soon be back in another mercedes, which is a good thing, as it seems, if one must have an accident, it is one of the better, safer cars to have a collision in.

Lauren also started off her month with a bang. Whilst commuting on a bus in London with a girlfriend, there were only 3 other people on the bus. Two of whom were girls. There were sitting behind Lauren and her friend and they decided to try and steal Lauren's friend's handbag. They jumped on her from behind and Lauren went to her aid, so one of the girls started hitting/punching Lauren. Lauren asked if the other passenger on the bus was going to help them (he was a male), but he just sat there.

Eventually the driver pulled over and called the police, but the girls ran from the bus. They were later apprehended by the police and although Lauren wants to press charges, the other girl's parents, does not want her to pursue it as they are fearful that they girls will seek her out for retaliation! Lauren ended up with a sore, bruised face and jaw, plus a sore arm, but she has since recovered.

When I last wrote, I mentioned several cancer cases. Well the good news is - all is well. My friend Paul is recovering well and is cancer free. Jim our neighbour and friend has also recovered well and has been given the all clear from the doctor. Erin also was given an all clear, so it is good news on all fronts!!!!

Chris & Erin came up for Mother's Day weekend and we took the opportunity to check out a few wedding venues. Unless we find something we like better we will be having it on June 6, 2009 at Brook Lodge. It is a beautiful setting, but we do have some details to sort out before making a final decision.

Chris and Erin also have become parents to an Australian Shepherd puppy called Toohey (after the Aussie beer she likes). He is 16 weeks old and looks very much like Mack. They will bring him up in a couple of weeks to meet us.

The weekend after their visit, we travelled to Chicago to celebrate Sid & Mary's 50th wedding anniversary. We had a great weekend. We met with Lucky and Nancy (friends) for breakfast on the Saturday morning, shopped for a short while afterwards and then visited with Millie and Murphy (Paul's cousin and his wife).

Erin has now finished her first year of nursing. She is doing summer classes and if all goes well, she will be finished her degree this time next year. It is a two year accelerated course. She had one week off, so took off to Wisconsin with friends for a couple of days........hence the fish picture at the end of the blog. Please note, she assures me that her cell phone shrinks things (animals only), and that the fish was indeed much, much, larger than the picture shows. She said it was far too big to eat, as there were only a few of them to share the meal, so she decided to release it back into the (fully stocked) pond where she caught it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We met Sid and Mary for dinner and then relaxed for the rest of the evening. The anniversary party was held at Di Nolfo's and it was great. We enjoyed catching up with Sid's family and others.

That evening we went back to Sid's for awhile and then headed back home on Monday morning.

A couple of weeks later Sid, Mary and Danny came up for a long weekend. Poor, poor Mary left some of her clothes behind, so we had to go shopping and replace them on the Saturday morning, leaving the guys at home to do man's stuff i.e. clean and sort out boy's sh......... in the barn!!! We wish we could have been here to help them, but Mary needed clothes to wear to church on Sunday and a girls got to do, what a girl does best!!!!

It was great to have them here and Paul and I were very grateful for the help. Danny also put up Paul's surround sound for him in our bedroom. I don't know how we ever lived without the walls shaking from the sound!!!!

On the Saturday evening we went to Sam's Joint - a great place for ribs around here, and later that night, Mack took off into the bush after what we thought was a racoon. Much to our disappointment, it was not a racoon, but a skunk!!! Yep, Mack managed to get skunked again. Although he stunk, it was not as bad as last time. Needlessly to say, Paul and I spent the later part of the night in the garage, bathing Mack in hydrogen peroxide, dawn, baking soda and tomato juice. Danny, Sid and Mary went through the house, closing windows, lighting candles, spraying and fumigating............ I would like to say he has learnt his lesson, but I very much doubt it.

Last week I went to Atlanta to spend a few days with Kelly, Nate and Kyler. It was wonderful.
Kyler has grown so much, but yet is still a cute little baby. I was able to have him home with me on the Friday, so I could spend more time with him. Unfortunately for him, he was unwell - he developed croop and an ear infection, so Kelly and I took him to the doctor's on Friday afternoon. Considering he was unwell, he was so good. He certainly kept me busy chasing after him as he went on one "search and destroy mission" after another.

He is physically very active and he has a wonderful sunny nature......... he is continuously smiling, laughing and babbling. He so badly wants to walk and pulls himself up on everything....i.e. table legs, chair legs, people legs, couches etc. He then lets go, but as yet does not have sufficient balance to take off. He is not yet 8 months, and has been doing this for a few weeks now. He also likes to climb and his little legs are continuously being lifted in the vain hope that they are long enough to climb onto things. He will be a bruised and battered baby until he can accomplish what he wants and he persists in trying even after many failed attempts which result in falls!

It was very hard to come home and leave him there, but despite my pitiful pleas, Kelly and Nate would not let me keep him!!!

They are coming to visit with us for the 4th July weekend and we can hardly wait.

Paul managed very well in my absence. My friend Alex was also away when I was in Atlanta so her husband John, plus Paul were excited about a bachelor's weekend, until I pointed out that they were not bachelors, just married guys whose wives were away for the weekend!

Needless to say, although I was concerned about being away, friends and neighbours were wonderful. Paul joined the breakfast club for Saturday breakfast, John and Jerry came by on the Sat. night and they cooked dinner. Sunday Paul went to breakfast with Dave and his darling daughter Hailey and in between he visited with several of the neighbours. Much of the food I prepared for him was left untouched as he was tooooooooo busy.

It was good to know that he was okay and having a good time also.

May also saw the arrival of two new citizens!!! One a little Aussie (my great nephew), born to my nephew Gerard and his wife Melissa. He is a fair haired darling called Luke Thomas. I have included a photo of him with his two "big" brothers, Joel and Harry and one with his cousin Jude who is now 7 weeks old.

The other birth was to the best attorney in America - our friend and attorney Mike and his wife Julie. Julie gave birth to William Michael (to be called Liam) on May 21st. He is a beautiful dark haired little boy. Unfortunately, I can't include a picture of him as the only picture I have was sent via a cell phone and the link has expired. Hopefully, I will have pictures in the near future.

Many of you have asked how Michael's surgery went. He had a quadruple by-pass and was released from hospital on Tuesday. The surgery went well and he is also recovering well. He is sore and tired, but that is to be expected. Hopefully, each day will be renewed strength and less pain.

Well folks, I will close now, as I think I am finally out of news......... (bet I remember something, when I am done).

Love to everyone,

Kathy



Erin with her catch of the day!!!!!!!!!!!!


Baby Luke with his big brothers.

Cousins - Jude and Luke, checking out the back of their eyelids!!!

Kyler's first swim in his own special pool!

Mmmmmmmmmmmm and what do we have here that I can stick my hands into?

Nana put that green thing in my way..... perhaps I will unpack it for her. I do like to see her run.

Doesn't Nana know I love to wath Baby Einstein? I will have to put it on myself!

Perhaps if I stand up under the table, Nana won't be able to see me and I can do my thing in peace. Look Nana... no hands!!!

Well I do like to sit in comfort whilst I watch my DVD.

It is over - time to get out!

Of course I can climb back in anytime I feel like it.

Why is Nana running again!

(I didn't get the next shot as he climbed in, then toppled out the other side)

Sit for a minute Nana while I recharge my battery too!

This racoon comes to our corn feeder every evening.

The woodchuck sunning himself on our wood pile!

The terrible two! Srs. Lucille and Sandi.

Watch out Australia, they are heading your way in 2010!

The bride and groom on their 50th anniversary.

Sid and Mary's offspring with their spouses and partners and grandchildren.

Had to include this one..........
Ed and Henry...... I do love Henry's skunk hat.

Perhaps I could borrow it to train Mack to stay away????

Kelly's wreck.